


Reluctance

by aretia



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Gen, Platonic Cuddling, Sickfic, they/them pronouns for kolivan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-22
Updated: 2018-02-22
Packaged: 2019-03-22 11:11:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13762890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aretia/pseuds/aretia
Summary: When Kolivan is sick, the rest of the Blade of Marmora faces a challenging task—getting their leader to take a rest.





	Reluctance

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kolivans (arka_r)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/arka_r/gifts).



> My pinch hit gift for Arka for Galrentines Exchange! Thank you for all your hard work running the exchange! Hope you like it! <3
> 
> Edit: not really a pinch hit since you got your gift already but just consider it a thank you!

“Kolivan, you’re up again? You need to rest,” said Ulaz.

Kolivan was sitting up in bed, attempting to read a datapad while buried underneath a pile of blankets and shivering violently. They had just returned from a stressful mission on a distant planet, and apparently picked up a pathogen that Galra were rarely exposed to there. Ulaz had been on the mission too, but for some reason Kolivan was the only one affected. Ulaz suspected that Kolivan not sleeping for the entire four-quintant duration of the mission might have had something to do with it. 

“But I have so much to do,” Kolivan protested, though there was no heat in their voice.

“You just got back from a mission, you should be resting anyway,” Ulaz insisted, lifting the datapad from Kolivan’s hands and placing it on the nightstand. “Besides, you should minimize contact with others while I run further tests. We must keep it from spreading to the rest of the Blade.”

“Tests? I thought you said it wasn’t serious. Am I in quarantine?” Kolivan demanded.

“Don’t think of it as a quarantine,” said Ulaz, too calmly for the situation. “Think of it as a well-deserved vacation. You’ll finally have some time to yourself.” He trotted out the door and gently shut it behind him.

Kolivan groaned and fell back against the pillows. It would be nice not to be pestered for a little while, but solitude wasn’t what Kolivan wanted at the moment. They didn’t want to be alone. Their shivering, aching body craved touch and warmth, someone to hold and comfort them while they fell asleep. Kolivan was selfish for wanting that. It made perfect sense that Ulaz wouldn’t want anyone else to be exposed to the pathogen, and that Kolivan would have to sleep alone. But that didn’t mean they would like it. 

At least Ulaz had brought some medicine, which Kolivan greatly appreciated. They took a sip of the syrupy sweet concoction that Ulaz had made. It went down smoothly over the burning pain in their throat. It also made them drowsy, and since Kolivan was already exhausted, it didn’t take much for them to drift off into a long, deep sleep.

 

Kolivan woke up, at last, embarrassed at having slept for so long. How long had it been? It felt like it could have been at least half a quintant. The walls were still intact, so the Blade base hadn’t crumbled without them. Still, Kolivan’s head spun with all of the duties they would have to attend to after being out of commission for even just a few vargas. Kolivan climbed out of bed, waited a moment for the dizziness to fade, and then went to get dressed. After struggling for a few ticks to fasten the clasps on their armor with their aching fingers, Kolivan gave up and strode out the door in just a tunic. 

Kolivan walked down the hallway, and saw Regris in the doorway of the supply warehouse, holding a datapad. Regris was a new agent, fresh off of his trial. If this was the person who was attending to Kolivan’s duties while they were sick, then the Blade must really be desperate. 

Kolivan approached Regris, and almost tripped over his tail, which was swishing back and forth across the floor in concentration. Regris jumped when Kolivan laid a hand on his shoulder. “Leader Kolivan!” Regris stammered. “Ulaz told me that you were sick, and that you were supposed to be resting.” 

“I’m feeling much better now,” Kolivan huffed. “Let me take care of this. Head back to your training.”

“Are you sure, Leader?” said Regris. “It’s just a simple inventory, I can handle it. And you don’t look so good…” Regris looked Kolivan up and down, clearly surprised at the tunic.

Undeterred, Kolivan took the datapad from Regris’s hands and pushed past him into the room. “There are ways that these things need to be done,” Kolivan insisted. “It’s my duty to make sure that they… are…” The room started to spin, and blurry spots crept into Kolivan’s vision before they blacked out entirely. 

 

When Kolivan woke up again, it wasn’t in their room. Nor was it on the floor of the warehouse, where they had unceremoniously collapsed. It was the nest room, a large common room with cushions covering the floor that was designed for communal cuddling after particularly difficult missions, and Kolivan was surrounded by other Galra. Kolivan could tell who they were just by the sound of their purrs. Thace was nestled under Kolivan’s arm on one side, and Ulaz on the other. Kolivan’s head rested on top of Antok’s stomach, and Antok was running his fingers through Kolivan’s hair, weaving and unweaving the braid with ease. It was… comfortable. Kolivan couldn’t remember being this comfortable in a long while. It was so soothing that Kolivan almost didn’t notice the itch building in their throat…

A loud, harsh cough alerted the others that Kolivan was awake. “…Excuse me,” Kolivan rasped, struggling to sit up. “I have to go and finish the…” 

Thace’s arm around Kolivan’s waist pulled them back down. “No you don’t,” he said. “You’re here to rest and relax. Everything is taken care of.”

Kolivan sighed and settled into the cushions. “Aren’t you worried that I’ll get you sick?”

“I was able to identify the pathogen while you were asleep. We had the vaccine on hand, so I already administered it to everyone,” said Ulaz. “I apologize for not having made it standard protocol before we went on that mission.”

“It’s fine. You couldn’t have known,” Kolivan replied. 

“I also apologize for putting you in quarantine,” Ulaz continued. “It didn’t occur to me that having company while you’re sick might help you get better.” 

“It does help,” said Kolivan. “Thank you.” 

It was true. Galra had an instinctual need for touch, and if contagion wasn’t a problem, being around those close to them did wonders for the immune system. Kolivan purred, relaxed a little, and nestled their head against Antok’s stomach again. 

“You know,” murmured Antok, “it shouldn’t only be when you’re sick that you get a vacation, Kolivan. If anything, it’s overworking yourself that gets you sick.”

“Nonsense,” Kolivan muttered. “I work no more than I need to.” 

Antok laughed in response to Kolivan’s stubbornness. “All I’m saying is that this team has proven that it can manage itself while you rest,” he said, stroking Kolivan’s ears. “If you wanted to take a break once in a while, no one would mind. We can handle things on our own.” 

Kolivan usually maintained that the mission of the Blade was too important to take a break. But perhaps it was important enough that the leader ought to take precautions against getting sick again. Kolivan would never neglect their duties, but they appreciated the offer.

**Author's Note:**

> Beta'd by my friend Revasnaslan <3


End file.
